1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a series of straps which are designed to fit over the back and shoulders of an operator and extend forward to support a laptop or notebook computer leaving both of the operator's hands free.
2. State of the Art
Laptop and notebook computers have become ubiquitous. As used herein, the terms laptop, notebook, and portable are interchangeable and relate to a computer which comprises two rectilinear parts coupled by a hinge, one part being the screen part and the other part being the keyboard part. These portable computers are used for a wide variety of tasks many of which are performed “in the field” and which require the operator of the computer to be standing without the benefit of a desk or other support for the computer. There is a recognized need to provide a support wearable by the operator to support a notebook computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,127 to Maddali et al. discloses a laptop computer support having a generally planar support base with shoulder straps attached to a leading edge of the support base and back straps attached to a trailing edge of the support base. The shoulder and back straps converge at a strap junction overlaying the user's back when the computer support is in use. The laptop computer support affords access to at least three sides of the laptop computer base wherein hardware/software ports are conventionally located, and the shoulder and back straps are configured so as to distribute the weight of a laptop computer evenly across the user's shoulders and back. The laptop computer is variably fixed to the support base with a hook and loop type fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,970 to Piatt discloses a laptop computer harness having a left shoulder strap for providing support in front of a standing user of a left side of a laptop computer. An upper part of a single belt is attached at a point near a left rear corner of the laptop computer, then passes over the left shoulder and then under the left arm of the user, and with an attachment to attach a lower part of the strap to a left front corner of the laptop computer; a right shoulder strap for providing for the support in front of the user of a right side of the laptop computer; an upper part of a single belt is attached at a point near a right rear corner of the laptop computer, then passes over the right shoulder and then under the right arm of the user, and with an attachment to attach a lower part of the strap to a right front corner of the laptop computer. A chest webbing is provided for gathering the left shoulder strap to the right shoulder strap along a transverse line in front of the user's neck near the user's chest area. A back webbing is provided for gathering the left shoulder strap to the right shoulder strap along a transverse line in back of the user's neck near the user's shoulder-blade area. A rear clamp assembly is provided for mechanically securing the upper parts of the left and right shoulder straps to the left-rear and right-rear corners of the laptop computer. A front clamp assembly is provided for mechanically securing the lower parts of the left and right shoulder straps to the left-front and right-front corners of the laptop computer. A tensioner is provided for drawing the laptop computer taunt between the front and rear clamp assemblies.
There are yet other issued patents and published patent applications which disclose various types of supports for laptop/notebook computers. However, they all have disadvantages which were not apparent to their respective inventors.